We’re all for self improvement and we know how many brides are striving to look good on their wedding day but today we’re here to offer a word of warning. Try all the beauty tricks you like in the months leading up to your wedding but never try something new 1 week before the big day!

This is our definitive list of beauty no-nos to stay away from 7 days before your wedding:

1.       Skin peels

Skin peels are fantastic, we love them. They can clear up acne, scars, skin pigmentation and the effects of sun damage among other benefits but we always recommend you plan a skin peel in advance and at least 7 days before a big event.

We offer a number of different skin peel methods, one of which is Easy TCA peels. Easy TCA peels can eliminate fine lines and wrinkles, sun damage, acne scarring and hyper pigmentation. Treatment is easy and safe but your skin will feel irritated. You’ll experience peeling, flaking skin for 3 to 4 days after each treatment. This is normal but of course won’t look good in pictures. As dead skin falls away the fresh layers beneath will appear quite pink, again, not a good look in photos.

Make sure your leave enough time between your skin peel and your wedding for the treatment to complete and your skin to return to a normal appearance.

2.       New make-up

Have you booked a make-up artist for your wedding day? Make sure you do a test run with the make-up he or she will be using on the day. Even if you don’t think you have sensitive skin there may be one product that feels uncomfortable or brings you out in a rash. The worst time to find this out is on your wedding day. Ask your make-up artist to book you in for a patch test or trial run. This will help you figure out the look you want on your wedding day and allow you to check for any potential allergies.

If you are particularly sensitive to cosmetics ask your make-up artist to use your own collection of products. With a professional touch the results will still be beautiful.

3.       Spray tan

If you’re not a regular at the spray tan booth then it may not be wise to book yourself in the day before your wedding. You’re unlikely to know exactly which shade you need or the quality of the establishment you’re visiting- two big risks when you’re about to be photographed to death the next day.

Getting a spray tan also requires a level of experience from you to achieve the best results. You have to hold your body in the right way to avoid streaks. For the uninitiated there is potential for disaster.

What’s more spray tans are darker straight after they’re applied, fading a little in the days following. Excess tan will come off in the shower and could, God forbid, stain your wedding dress.

Again, perform test runs or pay extra and have the tan applied for you by an expert at least 1 week before the wedding to allow the colour to settle.

4.       IPL treatment

Whether you’re having IPL to reduce the appearance of thread veins or to reduce hair growth you shouldn’t book this is too close to the wedding.

IPL treatment may be used for a number of treatments such as:

• Pigmentation reduction
• Acne treatment
• Rein vein reduction
• Skin rejuvenation
• Permanent hair reduction

The treatment is highly effective however many people experience a mild redness or inflammation for a couple of days after treatment. Don’t try IPL for the first time close to the wedding and if you are continuing a course of IPL don’t schedule a session less than a week before the wedding.

5.       A new haircut/colour

It’s tempting to get an exciting new haircut especially for the wedding. Maybe you’ve always envisioned your hair in a certain style as you walk down the aisle. Perhaps you’ve planned a themed wedding and want to hairstyle to match. Stop and think before you make the appointment with your hairdresser. It’s hard to correct a dramatic difference in hair colour and it’s even harder to put hair back on if you regret getting a short cut.

Until you try a new style you’ll never know how your hair is going to react. Many women discover that they’re twists into curls when it’s short, while other realise the hair colour they’ve always wanted doesn’t suit their skin tone.

Remember that dyed hair usually cannot be redyed for a 5 weeks because of the risk severe hair breakage.

The lesson for all of these is to take trial runs and always leave enough time to correct the damage.